PM to Leave for Johannesburg Tuesday

To attend the 15th BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will depart Dhaka on Tuesday morning for Johannesburg, South Africa.

President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa invited the Premier to attend the Summit.

The historic meeting of the BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—is being held in South Africa. It will be the first BRICS Summit to be physically held since the COVID-19 pandemic's emergence and the ensuing international quarantines.

Among the world leaders visiting the African nation are Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They will be visiting South Africa from August 22 to 24 to attend the summit at the invitation of Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa.

A regular flight of Emirates, carrying Sheikh Hasina and her entourage members, will take off Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 10:15am, according to the available schedule from Prime Minister Office (PMO).

The flight is scheduled to land at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg at 2050 Hrs after making more than one hour stopover at Dubai International Airport in UAE.

From the airport, Hasina will be escorted to the Place of Residence, the Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton.

On August 23, Bangladeshi prime minister will deliver a speech at the "Bangladesh Trade and Business Summit" as the chief guest, jointly organized by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) at 10am at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Center.

On the same day, the PM will speak at the “Bangladesh Envoys Conference '' organized by Bangladesh ambassadors stationed in African countries to be held at Rivonia 7th Floor, the Palace of Residence at 12:30pm.

Later in the afternoon, she is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President XI Jinping at the Hotel Hilton Sandton.

During the evening, the prime minister will attend a cultural programme and a “State Banquet” hosted by the current Chair of BRICS and the South African President at the Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg.

On August 24, the PM will deliver a speech on behalf of Bangladesh as a member of the “New Development Bank of BRICS” in 'BRICS -Friends of BRICS Leaders Dialogue (BRICS-Africa Outreach and the BRICS Plus Dialogues) comprising representatives from 70 countries to be begin at 9am in the Sandton Convention Centre.

On the same day, Hasina is expected to hold several bilateral meetings with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and Dilma Vana Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank, at the Sandton Convention Center.

On August 24, PM Hasina will visit a gathering of local leaders.

On August 26, at 1:40 p.m. (local time), the prime minister is set to board an Emirates Airlines flight out of Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport and go home.

After a brief layover at the Dubai International Airport, she is scheduled to arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka at 8:40am on August 27.

Source: UNB